Annika D.

15

"Summer"

Summer is the hum of lawn mowers in the distance,
the spurt and sound of sprinklers in the grass.
Summer is the neighbor's radio streaming from their open garage.
Waking up by the tweets and chitter of birds
even when the window is closed,
is summer.
Summer means hot car seats and lemonade stands.
Summer is sweat and sticky,
warmth and laughter.
Summer is the soft kind of wind that rolls on the top of your skin.
It is sunlight wrapping a warm hug about your face.
Summer is long lines at the amusement parks
and coming home with flip-flop tans.
Summer is working on the garden,
or spending time at the pool,
or finding a job,
or learning to ride a bike.
Summer is the loud buzz of crickets as early as 2 in the afternoon.
Summer is humid, and dry
it's bug bites and ice cream.
Summer is the soft rustle of wind in the trees,
and hours spent squinting at the clouds.
And finally, summer,
is laying outside in a sweatshirt and the dark, staring at the stars.
Summer is awaited, loved, and longer for.
But the little things that make summer so special are quickly forgotten
until the next year comes.